As shown in FIG. 5, a door opening 1 in a back surface of a body of a vehicle such as a wagon type vehicle, SUV, etc. is opened and closed with a hatchback-type back door 2. In one example of the conventional hatchback-type back door 2, the back door 2 is connected to a drive device 6 provided in a vehicle compartment with a connection rod 64, and is automatically driven with the drive device 6 (See Patent documents 1 and 2, for example.) Patent documents 1 and 2 also disclose a control device operating to prevent collision of a door with obstacles when the door is opened and closed.
FIGS. 6 and 7 illustrate a typical example of a conventional connecting structure between the powered back door and the drive device, along with a structure therearound. The drive device 6 is provided between an interior surface of a rear pillar P and a pillar garnish 7 composed of a synthetic resin plate and adapted to cover the interior surface of the rear pillar P. The connection rod 64 projects from the drive device 6 rearwardly via an opening 72 formed in a rear part of the pillar garnish 7 and enters the door opening 1 so as to move diagonally upwardly and downwardly. And a projecting end of the connection rod 64 is connected to a door frame 21 around a door window opening 20 of the back door 2. A rubber fin 73 is provided in the opening 72 of the pillar garnish 7 to close the opening 72 while allowing the passage of the connection rod 64.
An inner peripheral surface 22 of the door frame 21 is covered with a door garnish 3. The door garnish 3 is composed of a synthetic resin and has a depression 39 with a generally triangular configuration in a position facing the vehicle compartment. A connection shaft 23 is secured to the inner peripheral surface 22 and projects from the depression 39, after penetrating the same. The projecting end of the connection rod 64 is turnably connected to the connection shaft 23, and the back door 2 is driven with the forward and rearward movement of the connection rod 64. In FIG. 6 and FIG. 7, reference character G designates a door window glass, W designates a weather strip adapted to provide a seal between the door opening 1 and the back door 2, and 9 designates a quarter window provided in a side surface of a vehicle body.
Patent Document 1: Japanese patent application laid-open No. 2003-336448
Patent Document 2: Japanese patent application laid-open No. 2004-230993
In the thus constructed conventional connecting structure between the back door 2 and the drive device 6, the projecting end of the connection rod 64 is connected to the back door 2 outside the door garnish 3 of the door frame 21 so that when the back door 2 is closed, the opening 72 of the pillar garnish 7, and the connection section between the projecting end of the connection rod 64 and the door frame 21 are visible from the vehicle compartment to degrade the internal appearance. In addition, the interior surface of the rear pillar P and the drive device 6 are covered with the pillar garnish 7 so that the pillar garnish 7 protrudes in the vehicle compartment. As a result, as shown in FIG. 7, a level difference is generated between the pillar garnish 7 and the door garnish 3, whereby they lack unity in appearance and, as shown in FIG. 8, the opening 72 of the pillar garnish 7 is exposed via the door window glass G of the back door 2 to degrade the external appearance of the back surface of the vehicle body.